Importing a car

[radioman]

Thanks guys, good thoughts as usual. Car is a UK spec right hand drive and (I believe) meets or exceeds all Thai standards(sic). I probably will sell it once I find out the real deal. Think I will learn more from my Thai mate who just bought a HD motorcycle.

[Plainsdrifter]

For whatever its worth, a good friend of mine decided to retire to LOS several years back. He sold most of his worldly assets that he thought he couldn't import into LOS (including a car among others) and packed the rest into a 20' ocean shipping container and shipped to LOS.

 

A few days before the container arrived, his thai customs broker that was handling the importation cinformed him that he had a choice of paying about 25,000THB to someone(tea money) or itemizing the entry and paying the actual duty. He was told if he elected to itemize they will open the container and inspect the goods, if he paid 25k they won't bother to open it up.

 

My chum elected to pay the 25k and, to this day, he regrets not packing his car into the container.

 

Of course, one can never be sure that if he did include the car, he may not have been given the 25k choice.

 

Hope this helps.

[radioman]

A good one but I sense it wouldn't work with a car at all. Once arrived a car needs documents for everything from registration to insurance. Fortunately a dining table or bed requires no documentation in normal use which sort of makes things a lot easier.

[SiLeakHunt]

I can't understand this desire to ship all your belongings from farangland to Thailand, most of the stuff's not practical or designed for the Thai culture/climate.Furnitures furniture. A telly's a telly, a hifi's a Hifi and probably cheaper in the LOS to boot.

 

Sell it all and buy new stuff in Thailand that's more relevant to your abode than the one in your homeland.

 

Cheers

[Guest lazyphil]

even fishing gear is worthless in los. my north western pike rod would snap like a twig on a mekong catfish at bungsamlan.

[The_Munchmaster]

Do you have a different rod for pike fishing in the North East or the South West?

[Guest lazyphil]

its a brand of tackle. north western.....not sure if still in business now though.

[Encore]

I looked into importing a secondhand car a few years ago, decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

[Central Scrutinizer]

I'd say the OP should just sell the gifted vehicle and use the money to buy something here. Plenty of deals around here for transportation. The rest just seems like a huge hassle to be avoided, and could be much more expensive than bargained for. Not necessary really. Why go through the bother?

 

Cent

[cavanami]

...just go into the Texas Lone Staar and ask about that buffalo head on the wall and the import tax that was paid...it was like $4 ~ 6K USD as it was from Africa and was sent as a gift to George, but he had to pay the import tax which hugely pissed him off until the day George checked out!